


Velocity

by Raven (singlecrow)



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-29
Updated: 2014-05-29
Packaged: 2018-01-27 01:11:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1709522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/singlecrow/pseuds/Raven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Preparation for command.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Velocity

"You have, of course, an unfair advantage," Seven says, while the computer declares game, set and match to Kathryn Janeway. 

Janeway sits down on the floor of the holodeck and stretches out. “Don’t start, Seven. I beat you fair and square.”

"Greater experience," Seven says, undaunted, and sits down next to her, idly tossing the Velocity disc up and down. It doesn’t have a sustained holomatrix and seems to occupy the same space as Seven’s fingers. Janeway watches her for a moment, with a sudden memory of seeing her sister’s girls doing the same thing. "I had never played this game until just recently."

"You know, Seven," Janeway says, "I’ll grant you I’ve had plenty of experience with it, I played it at the Academy."

"At the competitive level?" Seven asks, with interest. She’s been doing that just recently, Janeway thinks: asking questions about Starfleet, about the Academy. She understands that: for all Seven knows, Starfleet and the entire Federation could be some complex shared delusion, or myth. She’s only got their word for it that there’s something for her seventy thousand light years from here. 

"No, I wasn’t good enough back then." Janeway thinks about that and smiles. "I tried out for most things my first year. The Velocity team. The debate team. Starfleet Academy Brass Ensemble does it in four-four time. I didn’t get in, but after I’d helped run three team summer parties and got a sousaphonist a replacement instrument in a hurry, I started to understand where my extracurricular strengths lay."

"Excellent preparation for command," Seven says, and Janeway laughs, pleased that she gets it.

"Right. But Seven - Velocity was… a fad, I guess you’d call it, back then. There were children’s versions. Perhaps there was a holodeck version on your parents’ ship, or perhaps you played it before you left Earth."

There’s a moment of silence after that, and Janeway waits for Seven to tell her that’s irrelevant. But after a minute, Seven says, “When we return to the Alpha Quadrant…”

"What is it, Seven?" Janeway asks, when she trails off.

"I will not be an old woman. I will have choices to make about my future career."

Janeway laughs a little. “Well, I _will_ be an old woman, and I’ll still have choices to make about mine. What are you thinking about?”

Seven gestures at the holodeck, letting the disc swing away from her hands towards the ceiling. “I have never lived on the surface of a world,” she explains. “I have never - known more than this.”

Janeway says, “One more game?” and when Seven nods, adds, “Computer: load one more round, then freeze programme.”

"Captain?"

Janeway gestures, getting to her feet. “You got it right the first time, Seven. If you want to head straight out from San Francisco on deep space assignment without ever seeing the Golden Gate, that can be arranged. The choice is the thing.”

Seven says, “Perhaps I take after my parents” - and Janeway laughs.

"Exactly. Computer, resume programme" - and they both get to their feet, Janeway taking a moment to appreciate Seven’s grace and beauty, and the lives they both live, in deep space, in motion.


End file.
